The Damn Am Select Series Full Breakdown!

Posted on Monday, April 20, 2015 by Paul

Have you seen the love we’re getting on StreetLeague.com? Last week they launched a Damn Am Select Series micro site. If you’re an amateur skateboarder you might want to take a look at it.
When the original Damn Am started back in 2001, the point was to take the Tampa vibe to the rest of the world. And we totally did, or at least we got as close as we could because, come on, without an Ybor City in every town who are we trying to kid? Either way we’ve hosted amazing amateur contests in Amsterdam, Shanghai, Portugal, Toronto, NYC, LA, etc., etc. And the biggest names in the business have skated them. Nyjah, Wes Kremer, Grant T. In 2008 when we started doing the Damn Am awards, Felipe Gustavo took home the Damn Am of the Year title, Luan kept it going for Brazil in 2009, and Ishod wrapped it up in 2011. So you see, the Series has a pretty solid track record. But the past 14 years don’t have anything on what’s about to go down this year, and the all new Damn Am Select Series, brought to you in conjunction with our fine bros at SLS, is going to blow doors.
This year the Series offers both old and new perks: The winners get free flights to Tampa Am along with a Golden Ticket to the Semi-Finals, and the rest of the top 12 at each stop are also guaranteed a spot into Tampa. But now for the first time both the Damn Am of the Year and the winner of Tampa Am will get to skate the 2016 SLS Pro Open, meaning that they could go on to qualify into the SLS World Tour. Crazy right?
The 2015 schedule is set. Click the Events tab in the menu bar above and off we go. In May the fist two stops will take place in LA and Atlanta, from there we’ll be headed to Chicago, Woodward East and West, the Volcom TF, and New York City. We’re capping the number of skaters at each stop at 125, give or take, so sign up now and yes, you’ve got your work cut out.
But, how do I become Damn Am of the Year and get into the SLS Pro Open you ask? It’s simple (but not easy). The skater with the two best finishes wins. And you can skate as many of the stops as you want, so bring it on. If you can somehow manage to win two stops you’re going to be hard to take down.
Follow along all year via event coverage here at SPoTTampa.com, and watch the ripping in our SPoT Life edits on RIDE. And then there’ll be even more coverage including updates on the Damn Am of the Year race and profiles of key skaters over on the SLS site.
In addition to SLS, SPoT is stoked to be partnering with Nike SB, Independent, Volcom, Woodward, Santa Cruz, Dakine, and TWS to make the Series the best it’s ever been. Now you know. Hit up eric@skateparkoftampa.com to register. If you’re sponsored by anyone legit or have done decent at Damn Ams in the past you’ll get the green light to enter. If not, don’t be mad if Eric asks you for a link to your footage. And throwaway isn’t going to cut it. Get buck and good luck!
- Paul Zitzer